The Acre Revolution took place between August 6 1902 and January 24 of 1903, having as main mark the dispute for the control of the rubber business.
At the end of the 19th century, rubber production in Brazil marked a cycle of strength, which led to the need to search for more rubber plantations to supply domestic and foreign markets.
The undertaking was undertaken by Brazilians who, increasingly, went up to the northeast of the Amazon - where the current Acrean territory is located, which belonged to Bolivia after the signing of the Treaty of Ayacucho, on November 23, 1867.
Learn more:Rubber Cycle.
What was the Acre Revolution
In the search for more rubber plantations and wealth, at least 20,000 Brazilians started to make up the work force in the rubber plantations from 1870 onwards.
The migratory flow, mainly, was of northeastern origin, an escape route from the drought and ended up under the control of Amazonian and Pará businessmen.
Ignoring the number of Brazilians in the region, the Bolivian government leased the area to the private company Bolivian Syndicate on December 17, 1901.
The act generated a revolt by the rubber barons of Belém and Manaus, who began to act in the process of political autonomy in Acre.
The movement's mentors counted on the help of the revolutionary caudillo gaucho José Plácido de Castro, who formed an army made up of rubber tappers, many of whom were called up on a compulsory basis.
José Plácido de Castro began the process of armed resistance on August 6, 1902, when his troops took Xapuri and removed the Bolivian intendant Don Juan de Dios Barretos. The end of the revolution took place on August 24, 1903, with the capture of Puerto Alonso.
Treaty of Petrópolis
On November 17 of that year, the Treaty of Petrópolis was signed, which established the new frontier and the transfer of Acre's territory to Brazil.
Under the terms of the treaty, Brazil incorporated an area of 181 thousand square kilometers and, in exchange, Bolivia received 723 km on the right bank of the Paraguay River; 116 km over Lagoa do Cárcere; 20 km over Lagoa Mandiré; 8.2 km on the southern shore of Lagoa Guaíba.
Learn more about the Petrópolis Treaty.
Indemnification
Brazil also committed to building the Mad Maria road on Brazilian territory to connect Santo Antônio da Madeira to Vila Bela, at the confluence of the Beni and Mamoré rivers.
The purpose of the road was to facilitate the flow of Bolivian rubber production. It should also compensate Bolivia in the amount of 2 billion pounds sterling.
Consequences
The Acre Revolution was not a movement of political transformation at the base of society. On the contrary, it went down in history as the revolt of the rubber controllers for the monopoly in the rubber plantations and for the territorial limits between Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.
The rubber tappers were transformed into soldiers, although they were paid very little for their rubber and were tied to businessmen who charged them exorbitant prices for supplies.
Read:State of Acre.